Northwest Africa 4930 Martian Meteorite

Complete mass of NWA 4930.
Complete mass of NWA 4930.


Official Meteoritical Bulletin entry for Northwest Africa 4930:

Northwest Africa 4930
     Morocco
     Purchased: November 2005
     Achondrite (Martian, basaltic shergottite)

(Original NWA 2975 classification that NWA 4880/4930 and other pairings conform to):
History: A minimally weathered fully encrusted whole stone of 70.1 g was purchased in Erfoud, Morocco, by M. Farmer in November 2005.
Petrography: (T. Bunch and J. Wittke, NAU; A. Irving, UWS) A medium-grained (<3.1 mm greatest dimension) basaltic shergottite that consists of ~57.3 vol% augite and pigeonite pyroxenes, and 38.3 vol% plagioclase (present as shock-formed maskelynite and glasses) with minor opaques (2.7 vol%) and phosphates (1.7 vol%) arranged in a weakly foliated subophitic to granular texture. Accessory phases include ulvöspinel, ilmenite, chlorapatite, merrillite, pyrrhotite, Si-Al-Na-K-rich glasses, and baddeleyite. Vesicular black glass veins (<3 mm in width) and pockets (up to 6 mm) are prominent.
Geochemistry: Pigeonite (Fs35.2–57.6Wo12.6–16.5; FeO/MnO = 28–38) and augite (Fs27.2–41.5Wo30.8–35.2) show mottled compositional zoning. Fe-rich margins of pigeonite contain very thin (0.2–0.5 µm) orthopyroxene exsolution lamellae. Maskelynite is compositionally homogeneous An55Or1.8 in contrast to mesostasis maskelynite (An48–60Or9.2) and glasses. Melt inclusions (15–60 µm, longest dimension) in ulvöspinel have rims of Fe-rich pigeonite (Fs73.5Wo5.8), merrillite, and pyrrhotite; cores are Si-Al-K-Na-rich glass. Bulk composition: Calculated average bulk composition based on analyzed phases and their modes of three melt inclusions is: SiO2 = 70.2, Al2O3 = 8.5, TiO2 = 0.8, FeO = 2.1, MnO = 0.2, MgO = 2.35, CaO = 3.5, Na2O = 0.95, K2O = 2. 1, and P2O5 = 2.8 (all wt%) with trace amounts of NiO, CoO, and S. One melt inclusion contains only fayalite (Fa84) mantled around a core of glass (K2O = 6.4, SiO2 = 78; both wt%).
Classification: Achondrite (Martian basaltic shergottite); moderate to high shock, minimal weathering.
Specimens: A 20.2 g type specimen and one thin section are on deposit at NAU. An anonymous owner holds the main mass.

Scientific abstracts and news regarding NWA 4930:

Channon M.B., Boyce J.W., Stolper E.M. and Eiler J.M.
(2011) Abundances of Cl, F, H and S in apatites from SNC meteorites (abs#5401). Meteorit. & Planet. Sci. 46, A39.
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/metsoc2011/pdf/5401.pdf

Franz H.B., Farquhar J. and Irving A.J.
(2011) Acid-volatile sulfur isotopic compositions of six Shergottites (abs#2338). 42nd Lunar Plaent. Sci. Conf.
Lunar Planetary Institute @The Woodlands.
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2011/pdf/2338.pdf

Sanborn M.E. and Wadhwa M.
(2010) Trace element geochemistry of the basaltic Shergottite Northwest Africa 2975 (abs#5294).
Meteorit. & Planet. Sci. 45, A178.
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/metsoc2010/pdf/5294.pdf

Weisberg M.K. et al.
(2010a) Met. Bull #97. Meteorit. & Planet. Sci. 45, 449-493.

Weisberg M.K. et al.
(2010b) Met. Bull #98. Meteorit. & Planet. Sci. 45, 1530-1551.

Wittke J.H., Bunch T.E., Herd C.D.K., Lapan T.J., Rumble D. Irving A.J. and Pitt D.
(2010) Petrology and composition of “enriched” mafic Shergottite Northwest Africa 5718:
Contrasts with Northwest Africa 2975/2986 (abs#5313). Meteorit. & Planet. Sci. 45, A217.
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/metsoc2010/pdf/5313.pdf

Rumble D. and Irving A.J.
(2009) Dispersion of oxygen isotopic compositions among 42 Martian meteorites determined by laser fluorination:
Evidence for assimilation of (ancient) altered crust (abs#2293). Lunar Planet. Sci. XL,
Lunar Planetary Institute @ The Woodlands.
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2009/pdf/2293.pdf

Weisberg M.K. et al.
(2009b) Met. Bull #96. Meteorit. & Planet. Sci. 44, 1355-1397.

Berezhnoy A.A., Bunch T.E., Ma P., Herzog G.F., Knie K., Rugel G., Faestermann T. and Korschinek G.
(2008) Al-26, Be-10 and Mn-53 in Martian meteorites (abs#5306). Meteorit. & Planet. Sci. 45, A13.
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/metsoc2010/pdf/5306.pdf

Weisberg M.K. et al.
(2008a) Met. Bull. #94. Meteorit. & Planet. Sci. 43, 1551-1588.

Connolly H.C. and 11 authors
(2006) The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 90. Meteorit. & Planet. Sci. 41, 1383-1418.

Wittke J.H., Bunch T.E., Irving A.J., Farmer M. and Strope J.
(2006) Northwest Africa 2975: An evolved basaltic Shergottite with vesicular
glass pockets and trapped melt inclusions (abs#1368). Lunar Planet. Sci. XXXVII ,
Lunar Planetary Institute, Houston.
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2006/pdf/1368.pdf


Sub-gram NWA 4930 'pebble'.
Sub-gram NWA 4930 'pebble'.
  One of dozens of small NWA 4930 fragments.
One of dozens of small NWA 4930 fragments.

Copyright 2012 - Current All Rights Reserved Nature's Vault, Inc.